Students scan Rappler, Phil Star, ABS-CBN, GMA7 News, InterAksyon5, Noli de Castro

Students examine Rappler, Phil Star, ABS-CBN, GMA7 News, InterAksyon5, Noli de Castro

“Keep Right! by mediamonitor2014.wordpress Regine Villanueva
“Interactive article: Map: The Napoles trail, a year after her surrender by Rappler
“According to the guiding principles recognized by journalists, it is important for one to “recognize a special obligation to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the open…”. Rappler’s recent news on the Napoles case that tackles her recent “trails” is a good structure of being able to provide to the public important details of the issue. It is well known in the Philippine context of the masses that those who were once in power and were put to prison tend to have a “special” treatment. People have believed for them to go anywhere they want to because of this so-called VIP process. Being able to provide information about the places Napoles has been to for the past year was a means of encouraging the public to actively seek out information that they are entitled to know.
“In addition, creating an interactive map that tells the stories and facts of the places where Janet Napoles has been allows a creative way of reporting important news to the public. Truthfulness as a principle is indeed significant in forwarding objective and honest news.
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“Media Monitor No. 2 by mannequinreverie.tumblr Malakh Angel Merced
“xxx Rappler … news …Aug. 29 xxx Sereno: SC rulings outlast presidents xxx
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno refuses to engage in a word war with the President, saying she does ‘not want to add to the confusion’
“ out of context. They misrepresented what Chief Justice Sereno said: “I hope that people will appreciate that when decisions are always made, it was always on a long-term perspective. It survives after the presidency. It shouldn’t be episodic. It should always look at the frame of the Constitution.”
“The whole article was about the reforms and values she wanted to uphold in the Supreme Court in the long run, taken within the lens of the frame of the Constitution. Yes, she mentioned that the Court’s decisions survives after the presidency but the way Rappler highlighted it took the statement out of context. The denotations may seem right but the connotations indicate that the SC seem to challenge the president’s authority through their rulings’ longevity. As a reader, that sounds to me like a trigger for more unnecessary conflict.
“Besides, shouldn’t the headline serve as a means of wrapping up the bulk of the article? This doesn’t seem to be the case here because most of the article was about Sereno’s plan to implement long-term structural judicial reforms. But instead of putting that in their headline, they highlighted something that came from a single sentence. That sentence, taken into context, should serve as a supplement to Sereno’s point that the Supreme Court’s decision are for the long-run; their plans support this term’s president, the next presidents, and above all else, the Constitution. Unfortunately, the way the headline was constructed made it seem like the SC was actually challenging the current president. It was as if they were saying that because the SC’s rulings outlast the president, they are more powerful than he is.xxx”
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Media Monitor by serendipity
“Media Monitor no. 1 by serendipity
“xxx I found the title “14- year-old sex slave rescued from suspected drug dealer in Cebu “ striking because it tackles three delicate issues. The first one being the involvement of a minor in the case. Secondly, the issue of sex slavery which is an equally sensitive issue. Lastly, it involves drugs. The first point, involvement of a minor, seemed to make the other two points graver. However, no personal information of the minor victim was disclosed throughout the article.
This is a good practice of controlling information to be disclosed in order to protect the identity of the subject, especially that she is a minor.

xxxx
Note for the student: Dear student serendipity: You criticized Malacañang because you were “unsatisfied with the statement” it released. Kindly refer again to previous notes: Please review media content, not the statements of news subjects. Tnx. .
Media Monitor no. 2 by serenpidity
“xxx On August 28, 2014, gmanetwork.com released an article regarding the New York Times’ comment that an extension of PNoy’s presidential terms and limiting the powers of the Supreme Court are both jeopardizing the Philippine democracy. According to NY Times’ article Political Mischief in the Philippines, “Mr. Aquino should uphold the Constitution of a fragile democracy if only out of respect for his father, who was assassinated in the struggle against Marcos, and for his mother, who died in 2009 after leading the “people power” that triumphed over the excesses and abuses of the presidency.” In addition to this, NY Times suggested that instead of attacking the SC, it would be better if he willingly step down at the end of his term on 2016. However, the article left me wondering about how PNoy reacted towards such commentary by a world- renowned publication.
“On August 29, 2014, another article was released by gmanetwork.com. Now, it presents the Palace’s reaction on NY Times’ statements. It was stated on the article that the Communications Secretary argued that NY Times didn’t know what they wrote about. He even justified that PNoy always considers what’s best for the Filipino people.
“Despite that I am a bit unsatisfied with the statement released by the Palace, the follow up report became helpful in my further understanding of the conflict.
“Both media monitors are based on articles from gmanetwork.com
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Another August 20-26 Media Monitor by wonderstruckwriter
August 20-26, 2014
“Group tells Trillanes: Shut up
“The article was about Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) advising Trillanes to stop intervening with retired Major General Jovito Palparan’s case since the senator does not have any idea in the matter.
“After reading the article, Pamalakaya has not really told the senator to “shut up” in such manner. As the news item quoted:
“‘”This military man (Trillanes) should keep his mouth shut and not intervene on Palparan’s case, he knew nothing about what the families of the victims of Palparan’s terror are going through to say that the AFP should ensure Palparan’s safety,” Pamalakaya Vice-Chairperson Salvador France said.”’
“In essence, the group addressed Trillanes to stop campaigning for Palparan’s safety. However, the group also addressed Leila de Lima to urge the NBI not to interfere with the case. I am not quite sure whether this falls under “improper emphasis” of the Philippine Journalists’ Code of Ethics.
“Furthermore, writing “shut up” on the headline is kind of unnerving given that it is not a direct quotation from the source. I think this is a misrepresentation of what the group was trying to say, where the journalist was focusing on the “keep his mouth shut part” and not on the reason why.
Being a curious reader, I searched the term ‘shut up’ on their online news platform, and I found out that they have been using it as a headline for a long time now. I tried to search the same phrase on other online news platforms and surprisingly, those other online news platforms used the term ‘shut up’ on their headlines when quoted.
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Media Monitor by wonderstruckwriter
August 27-September 1, 2014

“How do Rappler and The Philippine Star differ in their delivery of the MRT-3 maintenance contract news? xxx the Journalist’s Code of Ethics: “I shall scrupulously report and interpret the news, taking care not to suppress essential facts nor to distort the truth by omission or improper emphasis.xxx
“Rappler (online)
“concise xxx there is a corresponding background of the issue, to aid readers in understanding the piece. The writer was unbiased on how he/she has written her story.xxx the facts provided by the writer are correct. Both the passengers’ and the DOTC’s sides were mentioned.xxx In an attempt to background new information, the writer has omitted some additional details about it. However, through linking phrases to other news reports, the readers are given an option to read more about the previous updates of the issue. In addition, this “linking” process is also a way of being transparent to the readers, letting them know that the information written was not made up. Furthermore, a mood meter is also a feature that reflects the readers’ stance on the matter as well, aside from the classic sharing and liking the news item.”
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By giancoante.wordpress
ARTICLE: http://www.philstar.com/nation/2014/09/01/displaced-zambales-miners-seek-govt-help

“ “Employees of four mining firms in Zambales earlier ordered padlocked by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) are calling on the government to provide them with emergency relief assistance.”
“According to the Philippine Star article, the MGB has suspended the operations of four mining companies in Zambales resulting in thousands of workers losing their jobs. Consequently, around 3,000 families are going hungry because of this and relief assistance has not yet been provided by the government.
“This article is an excellent example of a journalist giving voice to the voiceless. The writer was successful in highlighting the issue and bringing it to the public. The issue of the plight of miners in Zambales is definitely not a common or popular news topic and I applaud the writer for exposing this truth. He also clearly identified his source who is the spokesperson for the Coalition of Mine Workers, Families and Community (CMWFC). Identification of the source in news writing is important because the public is entitled to know the reliability of such sources.
“The journalist was objective in reporting the issue and it was apparent that the article was not a tool used for advocacy. However, it is also the duty of a journalist to air all sides to a conflict. One thing that was lacking in this article, in my opinion, was that the writer was not able to get the side of the government regarding this issue. A follow-up article featuring an interview with a government official would be welcome. Other than that, this article is proof that there are journalists out there who aren’t just looking for the most potentially popular news but are actively seeking out the truth and exposing it for those who cannot.”
*****
By Shain Bianca media monitor for Aug 27-Sept 2 on philstar.com/metro/2014/08/31/boy-16-robs-2-children
“Here, the author of the article did not disclose the name of the suspect, as he was still a minor.
“ “A 16-year-old boy was taken into custody by social workers in Quezon City earlier this week after he allegedly robbed two other children, threatening them with a knife.”
“The victims, who were minors, were not named as well.
“a. “…a fifth grader, 11, was walking toward a nearby Christian school when the teen blocked her path and demanded that she give up her bag.”
“b. “At the same spot, the teen threatened a 13-year-old grade eight student with a knife, grabbing the boy’s bag and asking for his money. Matta said the frightened boy gave up P20.”
“This is in accordance to the 8th provision in the Journalist Code of Ethics, “I shall presume persons accused of crime of being innocent until proven otherwise. I shall exercise caution in publishing names of minors and women involved in criminal cases so that they may not unjustly lose their standing in society.”
“For me, this is a good reportage of the incident. Although the victims and the alleged suspect were not named, the report was clear and direct to the point. I guess supporting details about the victims such as their ages and year levels helped in making the report comprehensive.
“It was also commendable that instead of interviewing the suspect, he (the suspect) was turned over to the social workers. This way, it would lessen the trauma on his part.
“Not only did the author (Reinir Padua) write a clear and comprehensive report but also, he was able to protect the welfare of the minors involved.
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By paulinamatillano2014 Media Monitor for Aug. 27 to Sept. 2
“This week, I saw in my Facebook newsfeed a video of 24oras reporting about a naked lady being caught on cctv jumping out of a car. As I was watching it, I was kind of shocked because the cctv recording was showed so clearly on the video. You could really see the lady naked. And that wasn’t just it, the cover photo for the video lonk was the image of the lady lying naked on the street.
“I believe that in this particular case; the journalists were unethical in dealing with the story since they did not minimize the harm the subjects would feel. I think that the lady wasn’t respected enough in the news coverage. It is said that journalist should be sensitive to these kinds of issues, especially of they are going to show a video or image.

“I think that the reason behind this kind of reporting on the issue, is that they wanted to catch the attention of the audience too much that they sacrificed the subject’s dignity. – 2011-00873 Traveller
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Misleading (Weekly Media Monitor for Aug. 27-Sept. 2) by Jag
“xxx news about an alleged “Anti-Selfie Bill” xxx became viral xxx supposedly banned the taking of selfies. However, the bill, which is actually called the “Protection Against Personal Intrusion Act”, does not ban the act itself at all.
“In the bill, “intrusion of personal privacy” is defined as an act that “[intrudes] into the personal privacy of another without the consent of that person and with the intent to gain or profit there from”. This means that the commercial use of photos, videos, and audio recordings of other people can be subject to civil action.
“After Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate released a statement about the said bill, various media institutions were quick to suggest that the bill was meant to ban the taking of selfies. An article by Atty. Mel Sta. Maria on the InterAksyon website even went so far as to say that the bill will “prevent or hinder a revolution that is now happening worldwide” and “retard innovation, creativity, self-expression and self-actualization” — all without even focusing on the contents of the bill itself.
“However, in a radio interview on Aksyon Radyo 92.3, Congressman Rufus Rodriguez, one of the authors of the bill, made it clear that the bill does not ban the actual taking of selfies, further adding that not once in the bill was the word “selfie” even mentioned at all.
“The Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists states that journalists must make sure that headlines, news teases, sound bites do not represent and do not highlight incidents out of context. It may have been a way for some to highlight the various problematic portions of the said bill, and it may also have been a strategy for a number of news outlets to get more people to click on their articles. However, regardless of its content, the media should have been responsible enough to present solid and concrete facts and avoid sending the wrong message to their audience.”
*****
Aug 27-Sept 2 Media Monitor by domguamos.tumblr

“xxx After learning and having a better understanding of the Journalist’s Code of Ethics, there is this one commercial that caught my attention. Safeguard has a program on ABS-CBN and ANC titled Pamilya On-Guard Proteksyon 24/7. I really commend and admire the creative team of this program. They were able to create such informative program at the same time introducing the product in a very creative way. In this way, the audience can understand easier and in a fun way the news regarding health issues.
“But in this particular episode of Pamilya On-Guard Proteksyon 24/7 where in they feature cough and colds and how it can lead to a more serious health problems, I noticed that they somehow exaggerated it. Before they air the program at around 5 in the afternoon they show some portions or what they call “Abangan Mamaya”. In that particular portion, I remember Tina Marasigan, the host of the program, saying that colds is deadly which was explained later during the program. In my opinion, that particular portion can create a misconception or mislead the audience regarding the real effects of having colds. What if a person was only able to watch or hear that portion and not the whole program. With that statement only, it can create panic from what I have observe. On the bright side of things, it is a very effective strategy to caught the audience’s attention. Juts like what it did to my mother. She got curious on Marasigan’s statement so she tuned out for the whole program.”
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By Papa Smurf for August 27-sep1 Media Monitor

“In the September 1 episode of TV Patrol Pampanga, a segment featured a road stretching from Brgy. Santa Cruz and Brgy. Lourdes in Lubao, Pampanga that has become a growing concern for motorist because there are parts of the road that are very uneven. There are parts of the road that have not been asphalted properly and the lanes, which were part of a recent widening project, were also uneven. Aside from the growing traffic that the uneven surface that the road has caused, there was an increase of accidents because of the poor construction of the road.
“The sin in this episode is the distortion of truth by omission. Not once was a contractor mentioned in the segment. The reporter kept mentioning the DPWH and interviewed an engineer from the region but it failed to interview a representative from the contractor’s side who made the road. Aside from engineers of the DPWH who are assigned to the project, the contractor must be held responsible for his poor performance.
“This also poses an ethical dilemma. If the producers mentioned the contractor, they could draw the ire of the governor of Pampanga who is a partner of the said contractor. I hope I don’t get in trouble but it is common knowledge in the construction industry that you have to be in good terms with the governor to “win” projects from the capitol. This means that a contractor who won a bidding must avail the necessary concrete from a particular concrete plant owned by a son of a particular governor.”
*****
By Mark Sing “ABS-CBN’s Noli de Castro slammed anew by BS Aquino
“I read on an article in GMA News Online gmanetwork.com/news/story/news/nation/pnoy-takes-swipe-at-noli-de-castro-in-ex-vp-s-turf that President Benigno Aquino III criticized former Vice President Noli de Castro anew in a speech he delivered in the latter’s home province of Oriental Mindoro, for his barrage of criticisms in his weekday morning radio program of the BS Aquino administration.

“De Castro’s recent political stint continues to haunt him up to this day, four years after he got out of office. His political stint is his major blockade from being a credible news anchor and commentator. He has direct conflict of interest with this current administration and even the succeeding administrations. Hence, he should not be engaged in news anchoring and commentary. He could still be in the broadcast industry, but hosting shows that are news-feature/magazine type, in order to prevent, or even just lessen, the conflict of interest he is parading to everyone. And even if how many years pass, his conflict of interest as a former top official of the land will never be erased from our history.

“And lastly, I would like to credit ABS-CBN News for being fair and unbiased by reporting in its primetime newscast TV Patrol, which de Castro anchors, the said incident in Oriental Mindoro. I think it was reporter Jorge Carino who delivered the story. However, the news report did not indicate that de Castro is one of the network’s anchors and the same report is not published in their online news portal, abs-cbnnews.com.”
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By Kristina Rivera (@TINVCR) media monitor 2.

“A friend of mine recently encountered an article published by GMA that the Philippines ranked 23 out of 24. He shared the article to us, and also said that another article showed that Gilas was ranked 20 out of 24. I don’t know if GMA wants to burst our bubble, show us that we are the runt of the litter, but they could have published the article showing we were ranked 20th instead of 23rd to, as my friend said, “boost morale”. Or maybe they just didn’t do their research well?
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Weekly Media Monitor (Aug. 27 – Sept. 2) by itsthemediamill.wordpress cyrusfigueroa on rappler.com/brandrap/pldt-td-lte-for-home

“xxxOne of the sections of Rappler is BrandRap, where it features certain products or brands. The article I chose, PLDT Home Bro Ultera pioneers LTE connection for Filipino homes, lists down reasons why we should get a TD-LTE connection in our homes. It starts with, “Should TD-LTE start being a necessity in the home? How do you know if your family needs it? Check if your home’s Internet needs match these situations,” giving the notion that it’s trying to help us. However, it is clearly an advertorial for two reasons. First, it only presents the pros of availing of such a service, not the cons. There is obvious bias for the service. Second, it only talks of one certain Internet connection promo, namely the PLDT Home Bro Ultera. It does not fully criticize the promo and the brand, since it card stacks the positive things about it. It also does not present any other promos of other telecommunication companies, putting this in the spotlight, alone and free of competition.
“This kind of reporting goes against one of the fundamental principles of journalism – and that is to uphold the truth, all of it.
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Media Monitor (August 27 – Sept 2) by Darien
“ ABS-CBN, GMA and TV5 began posting in their respective pages what seemed to be news about a supposed “Anti-selfie” bill xxx I realized how misinformed the readers were, if they did read the actual article itself because there is a tendency for people on facebook to disregard the content of article and to criticize it solely by the headline when in reality, the bill only served to protect the public and private entities alike making it illegal for them to be photographed without their permission in certain places, there was no clause there that stated that selfies were to be deemed illegal.
“While the content of the articles that I have read were okay, the fact that I saw many people react to it based solely on the headline was not and it was the writers’ jobs to make sure that their headlines are not misleading because under the Journalists Code of Ethics, they should make sure that headlines, news teases, promotional material, and the like should not misrepresent because clearly in this case, their highlight was extremely out of context.”